Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-02-23
a NUNS REVENGE.
Twenty Years a Seif-ExIIe in a Con-
vent.

1
Twenty years a NUM-
Twenty years spent within those
gray convent walls.
The "world" had not known Sister
Loretto since she was a blooming,
bright-eyed girl of eighteen. At
thirty-eight little remained of the
once lovely face. The rich coloring
had flown from it long ago, leaving
in its stead an almost death-like
whiteness The large eyes were still
wonderfully expressive. but the fire
had gone out of them forever.
The first few years of her convent
experience, indeed, had been different,
Sister Loretto herself. Many were
the nights she had lain awake in her
small, uncarpeted ''celp' and sobbed
like child lshe had been little more
than one when she entered the clois-
ter) until the dawn came stealing in at
the window and the chapel bell rang
out on the morning stiffness.
"Oh, L have made mlstakep' she
would cry again and again in the prl-
vacy and quietude of hor own 'cell"
| might have been less unhappy as a
Sister of Mercy, or sister Of Charity,
where ] was doing some gOod-where l
was helping some Onel But this shut
in life, that is to go on forever, kills
mel have too much time to think
too much time to think"
"Ah, how happy she had been. So
happy that she had pitied every one else
in the world. She knew no one could
ever have been quite so happy. Had
ne not called her "Ruthp" Had he
not told her how much he loved her?-
how she had quite stolen his heart
away IN that one brief Summer season
with her great dark eyes2 And then
had he not kissed her and held her In
| his arms out there IN that still little
garden, with the moon shining down
upon them through the young naples
and hOrse-chestnutsy In that soft
yellow light the girl had looked up
into Dallas Wilmarth'5 face in such
,hildishly rapturous way that the
foung mans heart, (alIowing that be
lad one) suddenly smote him.
The little fool, he said TO himself,
was really in love with him. Why did
she look at him in that stupid way?
Had she really believed every foolish
word he had spoken? Other girls, to
whom he had said pretty much the
same thing, had not looked like that
It was true he had gone rather farther
his tine-farther than he had intended
loing at the beginning: but the moon
ight, the sweet, honey-suckle. scented
air, the pretty girl in her pretty hat.
lad all consplred against him.
Well, 1t was not too late to retrace
lls steps. He must make haste, how
ever. Ruth was very lovely and Will
marth really cared for her-as much as
ne was capable of doing.
He was not in position to marry a
poor girl. She would only drag him
down. he argued; and he had a name |
to make, and talents that must not be |
buried in foolish marriage. II Ruth /
)nly had the requisite money! 1t was
pity she had not.
Wilmarth frowned slightly.
''What is itp Something annoys |
'ou," Ruth said, quickly.
The young man hesitated moment. |
Then-the sooner the thing was over,
he better. he decided.
I'll fear L have said rather more /
han l ought to, Ruth" he began; but /
his customary hardlhood forsook him
title, and his voice was not altogether
as firm and assured as he would have
wished il.
Have said more than you ought
tor" Ruth repeated, wonderlngly.
"Yes; L have been too impulsive:
that has always been my falling. l
could not resist telling you that loved
you, and-and now w-to-morrow-I
must leave you," he stammered forth.
Leave me?" she cried, incredu-
lously.
Wilmarth heard the tone, and
trowned again; this time patiently.
Yes, | am going away" he said.
The girl turned on him in sudden
fear.
"You do not mean It," she asserted,
quickly. you told me you would be
here the rest OF the Summer"
But do mean tt must 60, Ruth:
l have stayed too long as it is" ex-
claimed the young man.
And when will you come back?"
81 don't know-I can't say; don't
think L can ever come back" He
to say this with difficulty and
he turned a little away; he could not
bear to meet those miserable eyes.
And You dared tell me you loved
me when you knew you were going
away never to return?" cried the girl
plssionately.
With low, dry sob she threw her.
self down on the grass at his feet.
The moonlight was shining full on
her slender figure, in its crushed white
dress; her large hat had fallen of; she
made quite a pretty picture, lying
there in the long tangled grass.
Wilmarth thought he should
never be able to get the picture quite
1ut of his mind.
"Good-by," she sand, without look
Ing up.
When she did raise her head he was
gone.
But all this was twenty years ago;
md why need Sister Loretto forget
ler prayers in recalling it now?
Once more she turns the black
beads slowly In her thin, transparent |
hands. She is conscious, in vague
SUI Va way. lihc Diic III d ultdhl, VI d |
little child-one of the school-children S
towards her.
SISTER Lorettol Sister Lorettol' ,
he child cried, breathlessly, ''some one
wants to see you in the waiting-room. S
This little room faces east, so the a
does not touch it. 1t is
quite dim when the nun enters IL, AMI '
The can barely distinguish the tall
igure standing so close to the iron a
,ars, which separate them from one an s
,ther.
AT lastl" cries man, catching at '
he barrier between them, and leaning +
owards her. s
"Yonl'' she says, and bears heavily s
against the bars
The man walks quickly across the
Dom and sweeps aside the little white, C
tiffly-starched curtain from the lower 2
lalf of the window. v